on the prairie

2012 Texas Pronghorn Hunts

2012-01-29T08:44:00.000-08:00

We have a few openings for the 2012 Texas pronghorn season. Feel free to email me or call me if you have interest in these hunts. sagebrushhunts@hotmail.com or 806-333-4358 You can also visit our website for more details and photos.

http://www.sagebrushhunts.com/Antelope_Hunts.html

2 Kansas Whitetails Down

2011-12-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

Well we have knocked down two great whitetails in the first two days of season. Congrats to hunters Dennis and Dr. Joe. Its been tough finding bucks that are not broken. One more whitetail hunter to go and he is to arrive this weekend after possible 4-8 inch snow storm. Should be some good cold hunting.

More Pronghorn Photos

2011-10-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

We have 3 more pronghorn on the ground. Some great hunts made for more memories. More photos to come!

5 for 5 on Pronghorn

2011-10-02T20:06:00.001-07:00

We had a great opening day of pronghorn season in Texas yesterday. We were able to shoot 5 bucks for 5 hunters by sundown. All hunts had plenty of excitement that lead to many stories at camp. The biggest buck went 82 1/8. We have 5 more hunters yet to go this week so check back for more updates on here and Facebook.

Kansas Mule Deer Success Photos

2011-09-30T12:15:00.001-07:00

We have started the season off right with this great Kansas muzzleloader mule deer. Hunter Matt Keefer was able to connect with this buck yesterday the 29th on the last day of his hunt. This buck in full velvet was 30 inches wide and broke the mid 180s.
We had a tough hunt with little buck movement due to dry conditions and standing corn. The last day was exciting with a full day of belly crawling to get this buck.

We start Texas Pronghorn season tomorrow so standby for more pics of our success.

Calvin Earl

2011-09-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Please welcome the newest member of the Sagebrush Hunts crew: Calvin Earl. Born June 22, he is already gearing up for early muzzleloader mule deer season, which starts this week! Check back for updates.

2011 Mule Deer Hunt Available

2011-05-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

The draw for tags is now official and those planning to hunt mule deer with us in 2011, unfortunately, were unsuccessful in getting a tag. For someone who has already drawn a mule deer tag for 2011 in Unit 17, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Please contact Jeremy for details on mule deer hunts at sagebrushhunts@hotmail.com or 806-333-4358.

The buck above was harvested on our ranch last year.

Kansas Deer Application Due Tomorrow!

2011-04-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to send out a reminder that the applications for the Kansas deer draw are due tomorrow. Also if you think you might want to hunt in Kansas in the future be sure to buy a preference point by tomorrow.
Let me know if you have any questions.
https://www2.ks.wildlifelicense.com/start.php

www.sagebrushhunts.com
sagebrushhunts@hotmail.com

Kansas Draw Deadline

2011-04-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

Applications for Kansas deer permits are now available. If you think you might want to hunt in Kansas in the future be sure to apply for a preference point. This will help your odds of getting a tag when you do decide to hunt. You can follow this link for more info on applying in Kansas. The deadline to do so is April 29th. http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/Hunting/2011-NONRESIDENT-DEER-APPLICATION-DEADLINE-APRIL-29

Muley Heartbreak

2011-03-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

I want to share with you a buck that I got the pleasure of watching for 3 years of his life. This past September we decided he was at his prime and wanted to hunt him. After many hot days in July, August and September we had found him with a small bachelor group of bucks. We estimated that this buck would score 220+! During the September Kansas muzzleloader season he eluded us for a couple days but finally on the 3rd day of the hunt our hunter was able to connect with the buck not once but twice. Both shots would of anchored any other buck but not this one. He made his escape into a large unharvested corn field. After many days of relentless searching we were unable to find him. Its a shame and a heartbreaker but that's the story of this unbelievable Mule Deer. We will continue to look for him and hopefully he will show up.

These pictures and video will hopefully will show you how big this buck was.

This is the same buck on the left in December 2009.

A Rare Find

2011-02-27T13:40:00.000-08:00

Ever since we moved here, some good friends of ours have been telling us about this little out-of-the-way restaurant a little ways north of here that we should try. It’s called the Hoot Owl, and it’s at the old, historical headquarters of a ranch, kinda out in the middle of nowhere.

We finally got together and went up there and it was mighty impressive. The restaurant itself is down in this neat little canyon, and on the drive up there we checked out a couple historical landmarks, like the old Santa Fe Trail near Camp Nichols and a dig site where an entire dinosaur was found.

The restaurant itself, although only open on Fridays and Saturdays by reservation only, is a lovely little spot where ranchers (that’s about all there is in the surrounding 40 miles or so) can come together for excellent food and fellowship in historic surroundings. Not to mention, the service was impeccable. Driving up there was almost like stepping back to a simpler time, when eating out was about much more than insipidly filling your stomach.

Thanks to our friends Tom and Debbie for inviting us to eat there and the Hoot Owl for letting me borrow this picture from their web site.

It's a boy!

2011-02-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

While Jeremy has been hunting Coues deer and coyotes, I've been busy growing a little boy. That's right, a boy. During the anatomy sonogram at around 20 weeks, we discovered we have a son. Not only that, but all his anatomy is developing right on schedule. It took about 40 minutes to take all the measurements necessary to assure that he is healthy and it was truly amazing to spend that time in his world. He was almost constantly moving his arms and legs, rolling around and opening and closing his mouth. He wasn't a big fan of his face photographed, but we managed to get a few shots.

This is a profile of his head and upper torso and his mouth is open!

This one is in 3D.

Mexico Coues Deer Hunt

2011-01-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

This past week I had the opportunity to hunt coues deer in Sonora, Mexico with good friend Clay Goldman of Mogollon Taxidermy. I had a great time and enjoyed hunting the gray ghost in some cool country. I will let the photos do the rest of the talking.

Coyote Success, Round 2

2011-01-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

They did it again. Last weekend, Jeremy and Nick continued their coyote calling contest undefeated streak. This time it was against 85 teams at the Western Oklahoma Coyote Calling Contest in Elk City, Okla. One day of hunting yielded 12 coyotes for the win. Congratulations to Jeremy and Nick for a successful coyote calling season. That should feed their fix until next January.

Coyote Calling Season

2011-01-02T07:37:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. The time of year when Jeremy gets to have some fun hunting for himself. Every January, he and his brother-in-law, Nick Peterson, enter up in a coyote calling contest. Usually, it's the Midwest Coyote Calling Event in St. Francis, Kan., but they have a rule requiring teams to sit out a year after winning two times in a row. So this year, Jeremy and Nick got in the Woodward Coyote Calling Contest, in Woodward, Okla.

It was Saturday, Jan. 1, and they again stomped the competition with 15 coyotes killed in one day (second place had 10). After passing the polygraph test, they went home with bragging rights and a check.

They are planning to go to another contest in Elk City, Okla., next weekend.

Big News

2010-12-18T15:43:00.000-08:00

Wanting life beyond our own is humanity in its simplest form. Jeremy and I are no exception to this simple rule. We’ve dreamed of giving life to a perfect combination of the best of us.

Raising a child will not be without its challenges. Due in June, I doubt I will be much use by April and May when we’re receiving and doctoring cattle. With just the two of us to get things done, the baby will have to go along as things need doing and help out as soon as he (or she) is able.

Although this is something we have discussed for quite a while, I must admit when I saw those two pink lines I felt a twinge of fear. It was soon replaced by excitement, but not before I contemplated that raising a child is a daunting responsibility. I think if parents-to-be aren’t a little bit overwhelmed by the task at hand, maybe they don’t fully grasp the challenge they are about to embark upon. It’s one that we accept and are looking forward to. Especially now that the nausea has somewhat abated.

This is the dating sonogram done around 10 weeks. The sonographer typed the word "BABY" next to it so there wouldn't be any confusion. I thought it looked like I was growing a peanut.

A Buck 20 Years Coming

2010-12-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

This year we had the privilege of hunting with Les Butters from Arizona. When he booked he told Jeremy he wanted to kill a 200 inch (or bigger, obviously) mule deer. He knew it would be tough, but wasn't interested in shooting anything smaller. Jeremy told him we would sure try our best to find him one. During the early muzzleloader season in September, Les, Jeremy and Jerad glassed, glassed and glassed some more but with corn standing, were unable to find the 200 inch dream buck Les was searching for.

He returned during firearm season this week to continue the search. The first evening he found what he'd been looking for. This buck:

His goal, one he'd been working toward for 20 years, was accomplished. He shot with a muzzleloader, this deer, which measured 202 7/8.

"Droopy" the Giant

2010-12-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

Rifle season for deer is off to a great start. On opening morning, Georgia hunter Ernest Gilbert shot a new ranch record Whitetail buck. And a very unusual one at that.

Last year, we had seen this buck and got some pictures of him on the trail camera. He was impressive then. We were confident with another year of growth he would be a monster.

That was definitely the case. It seems that, while in early antler development in velvet some type of trauma caused this disruption in the growth of his left side. He certainly made an impression when we saw this picture of him on the trail camera this year.
"Droopy" he was dubbed and categorized as definitely a shooter. When Ernest arrived the day before, the buck was rutting hard and several miles from where he had been living. By the next morning, he had moved again and was intent on a doe. Ernest was able to shoot him from about 150 yards.

He measured 187 4/8" making him the largest whitetail harvested off the ranch.

Antelope Season Wrap Up

2010-10-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

We had an excellent pronghorn season. We acquired a couple of new ranches this year that proved to be great hunting. We had 8 hunters this year and all 8 got their antelope. The average score for all 8 was 77 and the average height was 14 7/8 inches. The smallest buck scored 72 6/8 and the biggest scored a whopping 84 1/8 and was 16.5 inches tall. This antelope is the largest buck we have ever killed on the ranch. I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

2010-10-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

Sagebrush Hunts, LLC has a limited number of openings available for pheasant hunts this season. Hunt all wild birds over excellent dogs in southwest Kansas.

Day Hunts
Pheasant Hunt $250/ day

*Day Hunts include a guided hunt over dogs and lunch

Premium Hunts
Pheasant Hunt $350/ day

*Premium Hunts include:
A guided hunt over dogs along with
first class meals and lodging at the ranch.

*All prices based on 2 or more hunters
*Your dogs are welcome

www.sagebrushhunts.com
806-333-4358

2010 Antelope Season: Part I

2010-10-04T14:43:00.002-07:00

The cow is a success!

On opening day of antelope season in Texas, our first four hunters were all successful. Jeremy had recently purchased the Outfoxed Zebu Cow Blind designed to make it easier to stalk up on the antelope and despite some skepticism it worked well. Three of the four antelope were shot with the aid of this blind.

The next four hunters will be here at the end of the week. Hopefully the streak continues.

Shipping Day

2010-09-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

Cattle are shipped!

Check out my blog on Working Ranch on this topic.

High Water

2010-08-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

Last night we got a hard and fast rain. On the north west corner of the ranch it rained 2 3/4" accompanied by a lot of small hail. It caused the normally dry creek above the spring to fill with fast-moving water. Consequently it filled our creek and ran into the pond. The pond (above) was completely dry but is now full to the brim. In the four summers we've lived here, we've never even seen so much as a trickle in the creek above the spring, so it was quite the sight. A true blessing!Above is the where the Felt Road curves at the state line. Hopefully no one needed to get down that road!
Here's a creek coming from the north across our fence line.
Jeremy holding the hail. Behind him is the creek right before it comes into the spring. It was full of dead grass and hail.
Here's the screen Jeremy's grandfather Earl designed to catch trash and limbs to keep stuff from clogging the pipeline in the spring. This is the first time it' s been put to use.

Out Scoutin' Around

2010-08-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I got a chance to do some antelope scouting and while he looks through the scope I like to look through the camera lens. I got a few pictures of some bucks. Enjoy! This guy was a bit preoccupied.

Movie Time

2010-07-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

Antelope season is right around the corner and Jeremy and I have been seeing some big bucks. It's got me all nostalgic for fall -- cooler weather and good hunting. Below is a video from a 2008 pronghorn hunt when Barry Patton and his brother Brian came hunting. Staying inside to watch this video is a great way to prolong your time in the air conditioning.

2010 Antelope

2010-05-20T08:14:00.001-07:00

We still have a couple hunts available for 2010 Texas antelope season. These hunts take place on our ranch near Dalhart, TX during the first two weeks of October. If you would like more info on these hunts please contact us at sagebrushhunts@hotmail.com or by calling 806-333-4358.

Check out this big buck we found dead yesterday near one of our water tanks. Its a shame he didn't make it to season but don't worry there are more out there!

Steers, Horses and Prairie Dogs

2010-04-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

We've been busy the last month with steers, horses and prairie dogs. I know that's an odd combination, but we don't exactly live a typical life.

Starting the first week of April we've been receiving steer calves for the summer grazing season. We're scheduled to get the last few loads this weekend and we will be fully stocked. The calves are weighing about 350 to 400 lbs. We've had to doctor a few but overall their health has been good
We bought a new horse in February, "Chic", and I've shown her a couple times now. She is a nice show horse, but hasn't spent much time outside of the arena. She has had a bit of a culture shock adjusting to ranch life, but she is starting to get somewhat useful.

Finally, prairie dogs? Yes, this summer Jeremy has expanded Sagebrush Hunts to include prairie dog hunts. Although we keep the prairie dogs poisoned out on our ranch, there is a lot of public land around here were poisoning isn't allowed. Hence, there are plenty of prairie dogs to shoot. We've been offering the bunkhouse (above) as a place for hunters to stay and Jeremy provides them with shooting benches and a map of nearby prairie dog towns. We've had a lot of interest in these hunts and dates are filling up fast.

Also, Sagebrush Hunts is now on Facebook. Check it out by clicking here.

There's never a dull moment around here!

Whitetail Hunts Available for 2010 Season

2010-03-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

We still have 2 Whitetail hunts available for the 2010 Season.

The first hunt is an archery Whitetail hunt in eastern Colorado.

These Colorado Whitetail hunts are conducted on my partner's family's farm in southeast Colorado. This hunt will be along the Arkansas River with mostly stand hunting and some spot and stalk hunting. These hunts are fully guided 6-day hunts with more days available if you would like. Price reduced to $2500 + a $500 kill fee. Act fast as the deadline is quickly approaching.

The next hunt is a rifle Whitetail hunt in Western Kansas.

The Kansas hunt is on my family's own ranch. These hunts are primarily spot and stalk hunts with some blind hunting.

On this hunt last year we killed a 178 inch Whitetail.

This is a 5 day fully guided rifle hunt with meals & lodging on the ranch. This hunt will take place during the December rifle season. Price reduced to $3500.

References are gladly furnished upon request.
Feel free to call or email me for more info.
www.sagebrushhunts.com
sagebrushhunts@hotmail.com
806-333-4358

Goodbye Winter!

2010-03-01T13:42:00.001-08:00

Spring is in the air! The winter olympics just ended, the wheat is trading in its brown cloak for a brighter green color and yes, a simple scratch of the horses' necks leaves me covered in hair.

I am especially excited for spring this year, as we've had an unusual amount of snow since the first of the year, most of which hung around for more than a month. It was fun while it lasted, but I'm looking forward to the green grass which will soon be peeking through, thanks to the winter moisture.

The snow is now scarce, slowly receding in the shadows and low spots, a small reminder of the nearly 30 inches we've had since the middle of January. In remembrance, here are some of my favorite winter shots. Now, if only I still got a spring break.

Hunting - One Last Time

2010-02-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

On the last day of quail/pheasant hunting season in Kansas, we decided to take advantage of a couple spots no one had hunted. The conditions were perfect after a snow earlier in the week. Jeremy, Nick (Jeremy's future brother-in-law) and I headed out, with Gunner of course. They were armed with shotguns, I with my camera. We had a great time.

(click on the pictures to view them larger)

4-Time Champ

2010-01-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

Some of you may know of Jeremy's passion for coyote calling. He likes to hunt yes, but loves to call coyotes. In 2004, Jeremy and his good friend Nick Peterson decided to enter up in the coyote calling contest in St. Francis, Kan. It's called the Midwest Coyote Calling Event, and it's run by Brent Rueb. Competitors must check in on Friday night in St. Francis, then they have all day Saturday, and part of the day Sunday to hunt. The teams must return to St. Francis to check in by 3 p.m.

Well, after placing 7th in 2004 Jeremy and Nick were hooked. Their competitive nature led them to third place in 2005, and then they won in 2006 and 2007. In fact, at the 2007 contest they set a new record for the most coyotes killed at 18. The rules state that after two consecutive wins the team has to sit out a year or split up. They chose not to split up and returned in 2009 to win again.

That brings us to this year, 2010, the contest is complete and they are again the champions out of 143 teams. This time they broke their own record and won with 19 coyotes. Their goal was 20 and they were nearly late to check-in because of their determination to get that last one that continued to elude them.

Maybe they'll make it to 20 in 2012.

2009 Deer Season complete

2009-12-05T13:55:00.001-08:00

We ended the 2009 deer season with this nice 4x5 whitetail for Tom Bolding. Jeremy and I are looking forward to another great season next year.

Another Record-Breaker

2009-12-03T08:25:00.000-08:00

A new ranch record was set for whitetail last night, when Stu Lilly bagged this 178" 8x5. It was only the first day of the hunt, but there was no question this monster was the one, and Stu dropped him with a single shot.

Gone Huntin'

2009-11-14T13:46:00.001-08:00

Jeremy drew an archery tag for Colorado mule deer this year so he's been trying to find time to hunt for himself amongst guiding and scouting for customers. This past week we had some free time so we headed over to Colorado to try to find a monster buck. Find him, we did, but it turns out that getting close enough to shoot him with a bow is a lot harder than I thought. We were hunting in canyon country and it was rough. We walked about 10 miles each day and it was either straight up or straight down. Luck wasn't in our favor but we got to see some pretty country so it was worth it even without a trophy to bring home.

To the left is the view I saw most of the time as I had a hard time keeping up with Jeremy's long

stride.

Yes, the rocks were steep, but we unleashed our inner mountain goat and went right up 'em. The one below included.

Pretty Trees

2009-10-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

Even though we live on the prairie, we have a lot of beautiful trees near our house. This time of year, each day their leaves are changing color and disappearing. I got a few pictures when they were prettiest. It's views like this that make me feel so blessed to live here. Almost makes up for all the snakes..... almost.

Another 100% Successful Antelope Season

2009-10-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

Five trophy antelope in three days. Texas Pronghorn season opened on Saturday Oct. 3. We welcomed four members of the Texas Predator Posse on Friday and three of them shot these nice bucks the next day.

The final hunter of the group took his antelope on Sunday.

Monday we hosted another hunter from Austin, Texas, who shot this big antelope.

The five antelope ranged in scores from 72 7/8 to 82 5/8. Thanks to all our great clients for a very successful pronghorn season and to Jeremy's brother Jerad for all his help guiding.

Next up: pheasant and quail hunts in southwest Kansas.

New Record

2009-09-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

Today we set a new record for the largest mule deer shot off the ranch. Dr. Michael Atha, from Texas, dropped this 243" 10 x 11 giant with one shot from 59 yards. It was a textbook stalk in 90-degree weather after a two-day pursuit.

This hunt concludes the early muzzleloader season for us, and we're headed back to Texas for antelope season.

A Great Way to Start the Season

2009-09-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hunting season is officially here, and we had our first successful harvest of the season today, Sept. 22. Harlan Anderson, a repeat customer from Missouri, shot this nice Mule Deer on the second day of the hunt that scored just shy of 180. This is during the early muzzleloader season and he still had a bit of velvet on. Our next hunter will arrive on Friday for his chance at a big Muley.

Gone Fishin'

2009-08-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

August 12-16 Jeremy and I went fishing in the Rocky Mountains near Saguache, Colo. We were invited to go with Jeremy's sister Amanda and her boyfriend Nick Peterson. Nick' s family has been traveling to this area for years and he knew all the good spots. We spent three days, four nights there. The chilly nights made us thankful for Nick's grandparents' camper. The last morning it even frosted! We rode into the mountains each day with lunch and fishing supplies on the pack horse.

We caught a bunch of trout of all types.
It was Jeremy's first trip fly fishing and he really enjoyed it.

It was my first trip riding in the mountains and I loved the beautiful scenery. Nick spotted some elk way up above timberline the last day we were there. This picture is through Jeremy's binoculars. They were a long ways away.

We had a great time and can't wait to go again next year. For all of the pictures click here.

XIT History in Art

2009-08-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may not know, Buffalo Springs Ranch is so named because it's centered around a series of natural springs called Buffalo Springs. It is historic because for centuries it has been a gathering place for everyone from indians to cowboys to buffalo hunters. It is rumored Kit Carson camped here. Toward the end of the 19th century it was the first headquarters of the famous XIT Ranch which was once the largest ranch in the world at 3 million acres. You can read more about the XIT Ranch history here.

Here are some pictures of the interesting features around the ranch.
This is a cookhouse. You can see in the front there is one door that swings in and one that swings out. That way cowboys could go in one door and out the other as they were filling their plates.
Here are the old XIT barns and corrals. Kind of falling down now, but you can picture it.
This is the original XIT house.
The house again.

This is a monument erected on the ranch, right next to our house.

Now, in Dalhart there is an XIT Museum and they commissioned artist M.S. Franco to paint an acrylic picture of Buffalo Springs. Last night we attended the unveiling of the painting at the museum during the XIT Rodeo and Reunion in Dalhart. You can view the picture on Franco's web site here.

It was interesting to be a young couple amongst many old-timers who were excited to see the painting. It reminded me of how lucky we are to live and work on such a historic and beautiful place which is a legendary landmark among older generations around here.

Pronghorn Antelope Season?

2009-08-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Well its hard to believe the summer is almost over and it is that time of the year again, hunting season! We are only about 45 days from our first hunt of the season. We have started scouting for antelope here on the ranch in Texas. The season looks promising with some good horn growth this year. Look for more pics and video as season gets closer.

If anybody would like to join us on a Pronghorn Antelope hunt this year visit our website at www.sagebrushhunts.com for more info.

Jeremy

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Unlucky Quatro

2009-07-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

We bought a new colt, a yearling we named Quatro, (because he was lot 4) at the Caprock Ranchers’ Sale in Clarendon a couple weeks ago. We bought him from Mikael Nixon of nearby Amistad, N.M. He is by Genuine as Diamonds (118 pts in heading and heeling) and out of a daughter of Lean With Me out of an own daughter of Be Aech Enterprise. He should make a nice horse.

But, we went and picked him up on Sunday and Monday morning he was snake bit. It's quite a problem around here. We have rattlesnakes galore and have already treated two steers for snakebite this summer. We found him quick and got him doctored and he has made a near full recovery. This is why we kill every rattlesnake we see.